1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to devices used in the assembly of electrical connectors.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Developments
Electronic components are often manipulated for positioning on electrical apparatus as, for example, on a printed wiring board by means of vacuum suction nozzles. A problem with the use of such vacuum suction nozzles, however, exists with regard to their use with headers since the upward extending pin array on such headers presents no surface on which the vacuum suction nozzle can engage the device.
To solve this problem it has been suggested, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,311 that a cover having a flat upward facing surface be positioned over and engaged with the pin array to enable a vacuum nozzle to pick up the header. While such an arrangement would appear to provide efficiencies in the manipulation of headers by vacuum suction means, it has been observed that it may by difficult to always correctly center the header.
Further, it would appear that such arrangements may require covers which would be particularly adapted for use with particular pin arrays. Thus, it might be necessary for a manufacturer working with a number of different pin arrays to maintain supplies of a number of sizes of covers.
There is, therefore, a need for a vacuum pick-up header cover which can easily be centered on a header. There is also a need for such a cover which resists sliding off the header. There is a further need for such a cover which is adapted for use with a variety of pin arrays.